RoChu: The Pipa Player
by FlamingSerpent
Summary: I wrote this AU fanfic based on the Russian Fairytale "The Lute Player" but I used a pipa  Chinese lute  as the lute in the story. China/Yao has been genderbent into a girl for this story.  I have kept China's human name as Yao; it is a unisex name.
1. Chapter 1

King Ivan was already gone, away from the castle. Yao sat by the wide glass window, staring out into the snowy landscape. Little round snowflakes were falling from the gray skies, silently landing on the ground and upon the tall trees, coating everything with a sugary white. Queen Yao felt lonely without her Ivan, her little Vanya. She thought about him for a moment as she gazed outside and brushed a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. She missed his childish smile. She missed his winter amethyst eyes. And she missed his warm embrace most of all. The Queen let out a long, forlorn sigh, knowing that her husband was away at a crucial battle. And even though he had conquered many lands and succeeded in great ways, his newest enemy was a tough one to defeat. Despite not wanting to admit it, Yao knew that there were high risks and Ivan may not be able to get out of this one with a victory.

***

Ivan could not believe it. Had he really failed? He dropped to his knees on the battlefield, the winter-covered land stained red with warm blood. His army suffered a terrible defeat, and even though it was not the worst defeat in history, it was still quite shameful. Many men lost their precious lives in this strenuous fight. Dead bodies were strewn across the area, crimson blood mixing with torn flesh and broken bone and agonizing screams and a raw filthy stench. "No... this can't be happening, da?" he whispered to no one in particular. But he knew the answer already.

A pair of vibrant green eyes stared at him from a spot mounted on a noble horse's back. "You are now my prisoner," the smooth voice stated simply. Enemy soldiers rushed in to chain and lock up Ivan before he could try to fight back. Ivan tried to do something about it, trying to stand up in a rush, but the soldiers were too strong. He lashed out with a strong punch, but soon found that he could not even move his arms; his hands were chained tightly together. And then he felt something hard hit him painfully across the head. Everything went black.

***

A few days later, Queen Yao received news from a loyal messenger: King Ivan had lost the battle against King Arthur. Yao did not gasp, but a sad look passed over her face. She had a strong feeling that something like this would happen. Yao continued to listen as the messenger blurted out, "And ... his Majesty has been captured! He is a prisoner now... And..." Yao held up her hand and nodded, saying gently, "I understand, Toris; no need to explain any further, aru." The messenger nodded and scuttled out from the room, wondering what would happen to the kingdom now. Yao leaned back in her chair, thinking. The battle had been lost, and Ivan was now locked up in King Arthur's prison. Yao knew that it was her place to take over the ruling of the kingdom now that her husband was captured, but she knew there was no way she could do this. "I have to save Ivan, aru..." Yao murmured with a determined glint in her eyes. There was no going back; she made her final decision. She would go and rescue Ivan, bring him back home, and they would continue to rule their beautiful kingdom together like they did ever since they got married those years ago.

Yao stood up and walked to the tall mirror in her bedroom. She stared at her reflection. She had a lovely feminine face, almond-shaped amber-chocolate eyes, and long dark tresses down to her hips. "This won't do, aru..." she said to herself, reaching into a nearby drawer and retrieving a red ribbon she tied her long hair back into a ponytail and then found a dagger from a polished box, cutting off her hair to a shoulder length. Her hair was still long enough to be in a good-sized ponytail, but it was still a lot shorter than it was before.

Yao surveyed her reflection in the mirror, and decided she looked manly enough. She just had to get out of this red gown she was in and put on male clothing. She ran to Ivan's closet, rummaging through it and trying on various pieces. However, all of his clothes were too big. "Aiyaah..." Yao decided to sneak into Toris's room and see if anything there would fit her. She cautiously opened the door and tiptoed in, looking around. The messenger boy was already out on duty; he was nowhere in sight. She opened his closet and pulled out a simple tunic top and black slacks. She went back to her own room to change and debated whether or not to bind her breasts, and decided against it; she hardly had any breasts to bind anyways. She put on Toris's clothes and looked at her transformation in the mirror. Her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, some wispy side bangs framing the sides of her face. The tunic and pants fit her well, and her female figure was hidden nicely. She could definitely pass a man, just a rather pretty one.

Yao went over to a side table in her room and gingerly picked up her pipa, also known as a Chinese lute. It was an elegant instrument whose strings made beautiful sounds. Yao decided that she would pretend to be a traveling musician and make her way to King Arthur's kingdom. Once there, she would try to figure out a clever way to rescue her beloved King.

Yao was soon already out of the castle walls without even telling a soul. She was lucky that she had no body guards. After all, she knew martial arts so she really did not need any protection anyways.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting on a bench outside the stone castle walls was a musician playing a sad but beautiful tune. The high notes drifted into the air and onto a breeze, traveling a bit before fading away. Yao was sitting there, playing music and hoping no one would be able tell that "he" was actually a "she." So far, it seemed to be working. No one really questioned her, even though some people passing by stopped to listen to her music. Yao continued to play the pipa, the exotic sound foreign to the townspeople in this other kingdom.

As Yao played the slow song, she was quickly thinking up a plan for rescuing Ivan. To be honest, she came to Arthur's kingdom without much of a plan at all. All she knew was the fact that she had to rescue her King. _Maybe I should somehow sneak into the castle... Aiyaah, that wouldn't work aru... Um... maybe I could try to be invited into the castle; perhaps I could be a musician for King Arthur, aru? He has never met me before, so there is no chance of him recognizing me at all, aru... But then I would have to figure out where the prisoners of war are kept, aru! There is probably a dungeon somewhere under the castle, aru..._ Yao's thoughts were cut off as she realized that her song was over. "And here is another song, aru!" she announced with a little smile at the small audience she had acquired. She began to play another song, a more cheerful one this time. The light-hearted tune seemed to give Yao hope as she played the song, her eyes closed contentedly. A young child giggled and danced about to the music, happily clapping his hands.

The song came to an end, and the people crowded around applauded Yao. She stood up and gave a little bow, saying, "I am just a traveling musician, but I am happy to have played for you all today, aru!" Yao hoped her voice sounded masculine enough. She was grateful for not having a naturally high-pitched voice at least.

All of a sudden, the townspeople bowed. A confused look passed over Yao's face, and then she watched as the people scattered, leaving the scene with their heads hung low. "Um..." Yao turned around and realized that the castle gates had been opened by two of the guards, and someone was standing there in regal clothing. He was wearing a luxurious fur cape and expensive-looking satin garments. His green eyes were like jade, and his scruffy blonde hair was topped by a rather ostentatiously bejeweled golden crown. Yao realized with a start that this must be King Arthur. "Aiyaah, my apologies, your Majesty, aru!" she squeaked out as she bowed respectfully, clutching onto her pipa tightly.

"No need to apologize," Arthur replied with a little smile. "I heard your music while I was in my garden having some tea and I came to see who the musician was out of curiosity. You are quite good."

"Thank you very much, aru!" Yao said, her head still bowed down politely.

"What is your name, and where do you hail from?"

"My name is..." Yao quickly tried to think of a random name and said the first one that came to mind. "Jun Ren, and I have no home, aru."

"Oh, you are a wanderer?"

"Yes, aru," Yao made sure to keep her head down in respect.

"Your music is quite charming. How would you like to play music for me in the castle?" The way Arthur asked the question made it seem like "yes" was the only correct answer.

"I would be honored, aru!" Yao replied as a little smile tugged at the corners of her lips. This was all working better than she had expected. "Jun Ren" just got invited to the royal castle and with this big step, Yao was closer to Ivan. Yao was getting closer to her goal. _Ivan, I will be with you again soon, aru..._

***

Yao poured tea into an elegant little tea cup for the King. The amber liquid was the same color as her eyes, and she stared into it for a moment, watching the little tendrils of delicate steam. She placed the cup onto a matching saucer and placed it on the table in front of Arthur. She was not exactly sure what happened in the last few days, but she somehow became King Arthur's tea servant as well as musician.

"Jun Ren, my good sir, why don't you play some more music for me?" Arthur suggested as he took a sip of the warm tea.

Yao nodded and sat on the stool that somehow became her own spot and she started to play his pipa. The sweet melody lifted up and lifted her own spirits. She felt that Ivan was close to her; he was somewhere nearby. A smile brightened up Yao's face as she played the song, humming along softly as her fingers skillfully plucked the strings.

Arthur sipped more of his tea, watching Jun Ren play the elegant music. He wondered how the musician became so talented; it was amazing skill. Arthur had never heard anything like it, although it might just be because Arthur had never heard a pipa before. Anyhow, the music was comforting and entertaining all at once. His mind drifted off to wondering why Jun Ren was so _pretty._ Arthur knew he was a man; it was obvious and there was no doubt about it. But, Arthur could not help but forget at times because Jun Ren had a feminine face and a petite figure and just... seemed like such a lady. Arthur concluded that Jun Ren could pass as a girl if he ever dressed like one. Arthur found himself staring at Jun Ren as he played the music.

The lengthy song finally came to an end and Yao let the last note linger until it faded away. "I hope the song was to your liking, aru," she said quietly, thinking about Ivan. She was tempted to just ask King Arthur where the dungeon was, but a question like that would be out of the blue and suspicious. Yao restrained herself and silently gave herself reassuring words.

"Beautiful," Arthur said, finding no other words to describe it. "You must stay and play music for me around tea time every day. And perhaps even at breakfast or supper or at some other times as well..."

"Your Majesty, I am afraid I can not stay in one place for too long..." Yao quietly said, keeping up her traveling musician act. "After all, I am just a wanderer, aru."

"But you can surely stay here a while!"

"I suppose I could, aru..." Yao knew she would have to stay until she could rescue Ivan anyhow.

"Thank you, Jun Ren," Arthur said with a bright grin. He finished his cup of tea and then called Yao to come closer and pour some more tea.

***

In the dungeon, which was not underground like Yao thought it was, Ivan was locked into a special little cell reserved just for him. His ankles were shackled with metal and his arms were tied together with a strong rope. Intimidating iron bars blocked him from leaving the cell, and the padlock had no chance of simply unlocking itself. The future looked pretty grim. Ivan scowled, hating how he felt so hopeless at the moment; his arms hurt whenever he moved them, due to the rough rope, and he could walk about the small cell, but that would mean dragging around the heavy shackles. This whole situation was not pleasant, and Ivan wanted to get out. As soon as possible. He sat on the crude cot and looked out the little window, a simple hole in the cement wall beside him and the only source of light. The sun's rays poured in a little, and this little golden hue reminded Ivan of sunflowers. He missed one specific sunflower: his little Yao. Ivan let out a sigh, wondering what Yao was doing at the moment. He hoped his wife was well, but he knew that she would probably be upset at the news that he lost. He hoped the cloud of depression was not settling over her.

Ivan held his face in his hands and closed his eyes, thinking about Yao. He remembered her cute little pout that she made when she was annoyed or angry at him. He recalled her pretty smile when she was happy. He wanted to make sure he remembered everything about her; he never wanted to forget about her. He remembered the smell of her cooking, her beautiful pipa music, her sweet kisses, her silky dark hair...

Ivan soon drifted off into pleasant slumber at last. He thought he heard some pipa music playing in the distance as he fell asleep, but he figured it was just a dream, just like his dreams of returning home to his little Yao-Yao.


	3. Chapter 3

"I will grant you anything you desire, anything you wish."

"Wh-what, aru...?" Yao stared in shocked silence at King Arthur. She was not sure if she heard Arthur correctly.

"I will grant your wish," he replied simply, as if it was the most normal thing to say.

Yao still looked shocked but managed to gather her senses. This was working much better than she thought but she knew she had to remain vigilant. She was patient for this long, and if she could survive these long, tedious weeks, she could survive a bit longer. Taking a deep breath, she asked curiously, "Any wish I fancy, aru?"

Arthur nodded enthusiastically and gave Yao a smile swelling with charm and pride.

"That is a huge offer to make, Your Majesty, aru..." Yao said as she returned the smile. "I don't know what to say, aru."

"You could thank me."

"Thank you; you have my utmost gratitude, Your Majesty, aru."

"Anything for you, Jun Ren," Arthur replied smoothly. "So, what is it that you want? I can grant you gold, give you a position of power, make you famous, or anything else that you would prefer. What shall it be?"

Yao paused, thinking about the best way to word what she wanted. Her only wish was to rescue her beloved Ivan and bring him home. Of course she couldn't simply say that, so instead she said thoughtfully, "I would like a servant, aru. Someone who can help me out on my travels and perhaps be a companion of sorts, aru."

"Wouldn't you prefer a wife?" Arthur inquired. He thought that a wife would be better if Jun Ren wanted a lifelong companion, although Arthur secretly wished that he could travel alongside the talented musician. However, a King had responsibility and could not wander about.

"Oh, no; I would much prefer a servant, aru. A man who can be helpful but friendly as well, aru. Maybe I could claim one of your prisoners, aru...?"

"In that case, I shall allow you to choose any man you wish to become your servant," declared Arthur as he stood up from his seat. "But first, one final song, if you please."

Yao smiled triumphantly to herself and nodded. She picked up her pipa and began to play a lively song, expressing her excitement and joy. She could not wait until she saw Ivan again. Her eyes twinkled happily as her delicate fingers plucked and strummed the strings.

***

Yao fell into step close behind Arthur as two guards led them through various corridors. As the walk progressed, everything seemed to become much more dreary around them. Walls gradually lost their luster and shine, decorations lessened, and a heavy melancholy seemed to fill the air. The hallway became very narrow, and then there was a door. Yao continued to follow the guards through the door, a scarf wrapped around her neck and concealing the lower half of her face. After a short length across the plain small courtyard, which contrasted greatly from the King's fine gardens, they entered a building that had filthy looming wooden doors. Entering the dark and damp building, Yao realized that this must be where all the prisoners were kept. It was not a very welcoming place.

Arthur announced, "Here are all the prisoners. By this point, I believe their wills have already been broken; they should be obedient and safe for you to take. Choose whichever one that meets your fancy." Yao walked down the aisle slowly, looking to the left and to the right to see the prisoners around her. Each prison cell held just one prisoner, and the cell rooms were quite stark and small. She did not recognize anyone yet, and she felt pain in her heart when she looked upon the sorrowful and melancholy faces of the prisoners. Arthur was not joking when he said their spirits were broken. The locked-up men looked quite spiritless.

Then, Yao recognized him. It was Ivan, there was no doubt about it. He lost some weight, and his clothes were battered and torn, but it was definitely him. Yao's breath caught in her throat when she realized that his eyes stared blankly at the ground, spiritless like the rest of the prisoners. He was the same Ivan she always knew, and yet... he was different somehow. She hoped he was not broken, and even if he was, she was determined to fix him.

Yao tugged her scarf tighter around her and tried to act natural as she paused in her steps. "What about this prisoner, aru...?" she asked in a soft, nonchalant voice to Arthur.

"Oh, do you want that one?" Arthur asked. "He was a bit of a feisty prisoner, but we broke him down quite nicely. He used to always call out for someone named "Yue" or "Yao" or something like that, but he stopped several days ago." A smirk played on Arthur's lips as triumph flickered in his eyes. "He was once a King, you know."

Yao decided to act like she knew nothing. "Aiyaah, is that so, aru?" she asked. "My, a King; I think it would be nice to have a King as a servant, aru."

Arthur nodded and said, "I shall grant your wish; you will have this man as your servant now."

One of the guards asked, "But... are you sure about that, Your Majesty?"

"Do you dare question me?" Arthur's voice was even-toned, but carried a venomous tint, as if daring the guard to ask again. The guard shook his head and bowed, apologizing quietly. Arthur ordered the two guards to unlock the prison and removed the shackles and handcuffs from the former King in order to set him free. As they did so, Ivan did not seem to fight back. He did not seem to have any reaction either; he just stood up, his head hanging low, and letting them roughly push him out of the cell. Yao wondered why Ivan was acting this way. She simply could not stand it, but somehow managed to bite her lip and remain collected.

"Now then," Arthur continued, turning back to face Yao. "Jun Ren, you have your new servant. If you ever wander back into my kingdom, be sure to pay me a visit."

Yao nodded and bowed politely, saying, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty, aru!"

Yao looked back at Ivan, but it hurt to see the way Ivan looked back at her. Ivan just stared at her blankly, seeming to not recognize his Queen at all. It was as if she was a different person. She knew that she was dressed as "Jun Ren," but the only thing different about her was her clothing and shorter hair. Ivan should have been able to recognize Yao's face.

But he did not.


	4. Chapter 4

Yao glanced over at Ivan from the corner of her eye. He seemed to be rather unresponsive. He just stared into the space in front of him; his only activity was steering the horse's reins. Yao and Ivan's steeds trotted side by side, and they were almost back to their own kingdom.

They had not spoken much on their journey back home thus far. Yao tried to start conversations, but they always seemed to end pretty quickly. And Ivan still did not recognize Yao as his wife. Yao knew that she should probably tell him and see if he will remember but a part of her was afraid.

What if he did not remember her?

What if everything they had was gone?

Yao did not think she could handle it. But she knew this journey would not drag on forever; they would reach their home kingdom soon.

Yao glanced over at Ivan. He was staring blankly ahead of him with eyes devoid of any emotion.

Yao cleared her throat to get his attention and said, "Excuse me, your Majesty, may I have a word with you, aru...?"

Ivan looked over at Yao slowly, not saying anything at all but giving a curt nod.

Yao continued, "Well, to be honest, I rescued you, aru... I did not choose you to become my servant, aru. I know you are a king, a wonderful king at that, aru!"

Ivan nodded again.

Yao decided to keep speaking, "So... we are heading back to your home, aru." She was trying to start a conversation.

Ivan simply gave a nod. Yao sighed; this was going nowhere.

"Your Majesty, you are free now, aru..." Yao said softly, trying to get Ivan to show some sort of emotion.

Ivan blinked as he suddenly got a short flashback. The trotting horse paused in his step as Ivan's hands tightened the grip on the reins. He remembered the battlefield. The blood. Then his mind drifted to the empty jail cell. Loneliness. Pain. Then he remembered... he was free. There was a major thing missing from his flashback, but he did not realize what it was. He felt an empty hole inside of him, but he brushed off his concerns. All he knew was that he was free now.

"I... I am free, da!" he exclaimed happily.

Yao looked over at him and a smile spread across her face as she noticed how his violet eyes brightened up along with a joyful pink dusting over his cheeks. Ivan was finally showing emotion again! "Yes, you are free, aru!" she shouted with a wider smile.

"You have saved me..." he said, turning to her.

Yao's heart sank as she realized that even though his emotions returned, he seemed to not remember her. "Yes, I have, aru..." she replied quietly. She wondered what was wrong. Why didn't Ivan remember her? She knew that he loved her. Why did he not remember anything...?

"Since you have rescued me, I will grant you any wish!" Ivan said. "This will be your reward."

Yao murmured softly, "I only have one wish, Your Majesty, aru..."

"And what is it? I will grant it, da!" the King asked eagerly.

"...But I am not sure if you can, aru..." Yao looked away, her own horse slowing down and stopping as Ivan's horse caught up with her. Her horse bowed his head, as though he could sense the sorrowful mood.

"Just tell me what it is," Ivan pressed on.

"I want you, aru."

"Wh-what...?" Ivan blinked, surprised by Jun Ren's request.

"I want you, aru. I want you back, aru. I want you to remember me, aru...!" Yao's voice took on a tone of desperation. "Do you remember who I am, aru...?"

"You are Jun Ren, the pipa player, correct...?" Ivan said slowly. He was not sure why the other man seemed so upset. "You rescued me from that horrible place, da?"

"I am more than that, aru..." Yao bit her lip. She wondered if she should simply tell her King the truth. After a momentary silence, she parted her lips and said suddenly, "I am your wife, aru! My name is Yao, and I am your Queen, aru...!"

Yao. Ivan blinked, and then he flinched as another flashback assaulted him. Flashes of memories went by in his mind. He remembered being in the dungeon, thinking about Yao. He missed her so much. His heart had hurt to think that he left her all alone in the castle back home. He remembered how she would pout so cutely when ever he called her by the pet name "Yao-Yao." He remembered Yao's tinkling laugh, her long pretty black hair. Her smile. He loved her smile so much. It always brightened his day... And then he remembered the music. Jun Ren was not the pipa player. Yao was. Yao was the one. She always played the pipa, and the music was always soothing. The exotic notes always lifted his spirits. He loved hearing her play it.

"Yao..." Ivan whispered.

Finally, he remembered.

Yao stared at Ivan and asked hesitantly, "You know who I am now, aru...?"

Ivan exclaimed, "Yes, of course I know!" He suddenly felt vibrant energy rush through him as all of his memories returned. "I love you!" His amethyst eyes danced with emotion and joy. He was re-united with his beloved wife at last.

"I love you too, aru!"

And almost all fairy tales end with that famous line:

...And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
